Rug tool



Dec. 28, 1965 c. R. cUMMlNS RUG TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'iled Jan. 22,1964 wfw /BY l Dec. 28, 1965 c. R. cUMMlNs 3,225,379

RUG TOOL Filed Jan. 22, 1964 2 Sheets-snee?. 2

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United States Patent O 3,225,379 RUG TOOL Charles R. Cummins, Syracuse,NX., assignor to Rexair, incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Filed Jan. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 339,848 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-367)This invention relates generally tovacuum cleaners and, particularly, toan improved suction nozzle construction for a vacuum cleaner.

Various types of vacuum cleaner nozzles have, in the past, been used forremoving lint, dirt, and any other foreign substances embedded in or onthe surface of rugs. These nozzles included tho-se which utilize avacuum alone as well as those which use rollers, agitators, or brushesin conjunction with a vacuum to aid in removing the embedded substances.However, in many cases, these prior nozzles are not lsatisfactorybecause in the nozzles which use a vacuum alone, the cleaning poweroften is not adequate, and nozzles which utilize agitators or othermoving parts, in addition to being relatively complex and thusexpensive, often inflict severe wear on the carpet or rug.

The suction nozzle of the present invention is one of unique designwhich virtually eliminates the need for any moving parts and greatlyincreases the vacuum cleaning effect of the nozzle and therefore thenozzle efiiciency without increasing the size or power of the vacuumcreating fan to which it is connected. This is done by creating aplurality of paths of continuously flowing air into and through the rugpile which loosen a-nd carry surface and embedded dirt and lint into acentral vacuum opening.

It is a principal object, therefore, of the present invention to providea suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner having a greatly improvedoperating efi'iciency and cleaning characteristics.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficientsuction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner which utilizes no moving agitatorparts.

lt is a further object of the present invention to provide a suctionnozzle for a vacuum cleaner which provides greatly i-ncreased vacuumcleaning effect and nozzle etilciency without increasing the size of thesuction creating fan to which it is connected.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a suctionnozzle for a vacuum cleaner which provides greatly increased suctionpower without increasing the size, weight, or complexity of the nozzle.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide asuction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner which is relatively simple andinexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation and efhcient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view of a rug suction nozzle constructedaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure of FIG. 1

taken along line 3 3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure of FIG. 3 taken along line 44 thereof; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FlG. 2 encompassed by dashedline 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated rug tool assembly is seento include a tool body 1 having an elongated portion 3 and a hollowintegral exten-sion 5 disposed centrally thereof. The extension 5defines a cylindrical opening 7 adapted to be connected to a hose of aconventional vacuum cleaner (not shown), which opening 3,225,379Patented Dec. 28, 1955 ice communicates with a downwardly facingrectangular opening 9. Elongated portion 3 terminates in a downwardlydepending rectangular skirt portion 11. and has formed therein aplurality of louvered openings 13 to permit air fiow therethrough in amanner to be described.

A tool shoe 15 is fixed to the underside of the tool body 1 by suitablemeans such as screws 17. Tool shoe 15 includes an elongated portion 19generally coincident with elongated portion 3 of tool body 1 and anupwardly facing hollow rectangular portion 21 defining an upwardly andoutwardly tapering opening 23 communicating with the opening 9. Asuitable sealing gasket 25 may be disposed in a notch 27 formed inrectangular portion 21 adjacent the end thereof to prevent any vacuumleaks between openings 9 and 23, and a resilient bumper and seal 29 maybe positioned in sealing relationship between skirt portion 11 Iand toolshoe 15, surrounding elongated portion 19.

Tool shoe 15 is formed at its underside with a pair of elongatedchannels 31 and 33 each of which extends from a point adjacent arespective end of elongated portion 19 and inclines upwardly to theopening 23. The bottom of the tool shoe 15 is downwardly and rearwardlytapered at the front portion thereof to facilitate easy movement overthe rug and terminates in a sharp corner 34 adjacent channels 31 and 33.A plurality of relatively long parallel slots 35 are formed over nearlythe entire length of the bottom of Ishoe 15 extending from a pointadjacent the front of the tool shoe to the channels 31 and 33. Anotherset of parallel slots 37, fewer in number and shorter in length thanslots 35, extends along the bottom of the tool shoe in the same plane asslots 35 from a point adjacent the rear edge thereof to a longitudinallyextending recessed portion 39 adjacent the rear edge of channels 31 and33. A plurality of identical generally vertical openings 41 are formedin elongated portion 19, one of each extending from the top thereof toeach of slots 35 and 37. Thus, when a vacuum is applied to the opening 7by the fan (not shown), air will be drawn downwardly in a plurality ofpaths through louvered openings 13, vertical openings 41, slots 35 and37, channels 31 and 33, and finally, with the paths converging, throughopenings 23, 9 and 7. In so doing, the air as it passes downwardlythrough openings 41 and along slots 35 and 37 will penetrate deep intothe rug fibers, thereby loosening dirt, lint, or other foreign materialimbedded therein and carrying it to the vacuum cleaner tank (not shown).As the rug tool moves forwardly over the rug, the rug pile positionedwithin slots 35 will be subjected to the ow of air directed throughopenings 41 and slots 35 as it carries the lint and imbedded dirt to thevacuum cleaner tank. The relatively small portion of rug pile fiberspositoned between the slots 35 will not be subjected to this deeppenetrating flow of air at this time; however, as the rug tool continuesits forward movement, these last mentioned fibers will reach channels 31and 33 and will be subjected to the cleaning effect of the air passingalong these channels. Also, those fibers positoned between slots 35during forward movement of the rug tool will spring up upon reachingchannels 31 and 33. This same condition will exist for the rug pilefiber-s in and between slots 37 during rearward movement of the rugtool.

In addition to the slots 35 and 37, a slot 43 is formed in each end ofthe tool shoe adjacent the bottom thereof creating additional air owalong channels 31 and 33 when a vacuum is applied to opening 7. To aidin loosening deeply imbedded dirt, lint, and other foreign material, abrush 45 having its lower edge positioned below the lower surface of thetool shoe may be carried by tool shoe 15 within the recessed portion 39.As shown, brush 45 is formed with spaced bristle groups 47 to permit thefree passage of air from slots 37 to channels 31 and 33. It has beendiscovered that by providing rows of slots along both the front and rearof the tool shoe through each of which a flow of air is directed, anunexpectedly improved rug cleaning effect is achieved. Also, bydirecting the flow of air vertically downwardly through openings 41 inthe tool shoe, dirt which has become deeply imbedded in the rug will bereached and carried away in the continuing flow of air to the nozzle andvacuum cleaner tank. Thus, by the present invention a highly etiicientand effective vacuum cleaning rug tool will have been provided, withoutthe use of damaging agitators.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described herein, various addition, modifications,substitutions and omrnissio-ns may be made thereto without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as encompassed by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rug cleaning nozzle comprising an elongated shoe having a topsurface and a bottom surface adapted for movement over a rug to becleaned, a vacuum opening in said shoe adapted to have a vacuum appliedthereto, an elongated groove extending longitudinally along the bottomsurface of said shoe, means defining a plurality of first substantiallyparallel transverse grooves in said shoe bottom surface extending fromone side edge thereof and communicating with said longitudinal groove,said means presenting sharp edge-s along one side of said groove, alongitudinal recess in said body bottom surface adjacent the other sideedge of said longitudinal groove, means defining a plurality of secondsubstantially parallel transverse grooves in said shoe bottom ysurfaceextending from the other side edge thereof and communicating with saidlongitudinal groove through said recess, a plurality of openings in saidshoe extending therethrough from the top surface thereof, one eachcommunicating with a respective one of said transverse grooves, a brushcarried by said shoe within said recess and having a plurality of spacedbristle groups to permit the free passage of air from said secondtransverse grooves to said longitudinal opening.

2. A rug cleaning nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongatedgroove extends from end to end of said shoe.

3. A rug cleaning nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said shoe bottomsurface tapers downwardly from said one side edge to said elongatedgroove.

4. A rug cleaning nozzle as dened in claim 1 and 4further including atool body overlaying and secured to said shoe, said body defining withsaid shoe a cavity adjacent said openings, and a plurality of louveredopenings in said body communicating with said cavity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,980,438 ll/1934Riebel 15--402 2,153,457 4/1939 Fechtenburg 15-375 X 2,164,392 7/1939Ellis 15-375 2,210,030 8/1940 Ellis 15-375 2,785,432 3/1957 Rockwell15-375 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A RUG CLEANING NOZZLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SHOE HAVING A TOPSURFACE AND A BOTTOM SURFACE ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT OVER A RUG TO BECLEANED, A VACUUM OPENING IN SAID SHOE ADAPTED TO HAVE A VACUUM APPLIEDTHERETO, AN ELONGATED GROOVE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE BOTTOMSURFACE OF SAID SHOE, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF FIRST SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL TRANSVERSE GROOVES IN SAID SHOE BOTTOM SURFACE EXTENDING FROMONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL GROOVE,SAID MEANS PRESENTING SHARP EDGES ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID GROOVE, ALONGITUDINAL RECESS IN SAID BODY BOTTOM SURFACE ADJACENT THE OTHER SIDEEDGE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL GROOVE, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SECONDSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TRANSVERSE GROOVES IN SAID SHOE BOTTOM SURFACEEXTENDING FROM THE OTHER SIDE EDGE THEREOF AND COMMUNICATION WITH SAID